


Overheard in the Science Lab

by malcolmreeds



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 01:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3230471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malcolmreeds/pseuds/malcolmreeds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of short stories depicting conversations, both eavesdropped and unwittingly overheard, by scientists working in the lab.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coleman Overhears

‘So, we’re not immortal right?’ Rodney said this when he stepped back from the huge whiteboard in the corner of the room, not taking his eyes from the equation he’d just scribbled on the board.

            ‘Right,’ Radek replied, leaning back against a desk, observing the whiteboard and observing Rodney too.

            It was late. There were only five scientists in the lab, including Rodney and Radek. The two of them were trying to come up with a way of optimising the cities shields after a rather grizzly wraith attack. The three others were working on separate projects, but were on hand if Doctor’s McKay or Zelenka needed any help. Dr. Coleman had just come back from a coffee run that McKay had sent her on and was sitting in a position near enough to the whiteboard that she was the only one in the room who could hear the two scientist’s conversation.

            ‘Obviously we’re going to die someday,’ Rodney continued, glancing over to where Radek was leaning.

            ‘Not sometime soon I hope,’ Radek replied, stepping forward and rubbing out a number on the board.

            Rodney lapsed into a silence again as Radek took the pen from him and scribbled a different number in the other’s place. He looked contemplative as he viewed the equation, then looked back at Rodney who hadn’t moved.

            ‘Are you going somewhere with this?’ Radek asked.

            ‘Yes I am,’ Rodney replied, slightly agitated, rubbing a whole line of writing off the board with his sleeve.

            Dr. Coleman looked up over the rim of her coffee cup. Radek handed the pen back to Rodney and an expectant look graced his features.

            Rodney rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, ‘Well, have you ever thought about which one of us would die first? And what would happen to the other one?’

            ‘I can’t say I have given it much thought.’

            ‘Think about it now. Out of you and me, which one of us do you think would die first?’

            ‘I honestly have no idea Rodney,’ Radek replied, throwing his hands up, ‘If we knew when we were going to die, life would be a lot different.’

            ‘Well, I hope I’m the first one to go,’ Rodney admitted, ‘I know I’m an egotistical ass, but god I’d be a mess without you.’

            Rodney turned back to the whiteboard to scribble something down, and missed a tender, warm smile spread across Radek’s face which Coleman saw out of the corner of her eye.

            ‘That is very sweet Rodney.’

            Rodney shrugged his response in a very Ronon-esque way.

            ‘If you died first, I would go the day after.’

            Rodney looked back up at him, whiteboard and equations forgotten.

            ‘How do you figure that?’ he asked, ‘You can’t just decide to peg it twenty four hours after I go.’

            ‘We are, as you say, “soulmates”. I am quite sure that would mean we are in tuned with each other’s demise.’

            Rodney just looked at him, Radek chuckled.

            ‘It is amazing how philosophical one can get running on little sleep and many cups of coffee,’ Radek smiled.

            ‘What about if I was murdered, or blown up or something?’ Rodney folded his arms across his chest.

            ‘That is different. Old age? Yes I am sure we would die at more or less the same time. But if one of us died in an accident,’ it was Radek’s turn to shrug, ‘I would feel a great pain and would likely never love again, but I would still be alive.’

            Rodney gave Radek a playful nudge, ‘That is the corniest thing I’ve ever heard you say.’

            ‘It is truth,’ Radek chuckled again and nudged Rodney back.

            ‘Hang on, hang on. I can do one better,’ Rodney cleared his throat dramatically, ‘I would rather die right this second than live even an hour without you.’

            Radek looked contemplative, ‘Yes that was pretty bad.’

            The two of them cracked up. Coleman couldn’t help but smile from behind her laptop screen.

            ‘You are an absolute ass,’ Radek said after they had calmed down, ‘I love you, but you are an ass.’

            ‘I suppose I love you too, despite the fact that you just insulted me,’ Rodney tried to look serious, but eventually smiled, ‘We better get back on with these equations. At this rate we’re gonna be awake for another week.’

            The two of them looked back towards the whiteboard. Rodney yawned and rubbed out another few numbers, writing new ones in their place.

            ‘Seriously though,’ Radek started this time, ‘Do not worry about who is going to die and which one of us will die first or anything like that. It will happen when it happens. This city isn’t exactly safe, but it is home, and if one of us is to die then I am glad that we had this albeit short time together.’

            Coleman saw that Rodney looked genuinely touched for a moment, then waved a hand in the air.

            ‘Look at us getting all sappy. Its lack of sleep I swear,’ he went to take a swig of coffee but there mustn’t have been any left. He turned and scanned the room, eyes landing on the closest scientist, he held up his coffee mug, ‘Coleman?’

            She shook her head, ‘I went last time.’

            Rodney scanned the room again then called, ‘Simpson?’

            Simpson raised her head and saw the empty coffee mug, ‘I’ve already been once tonight.’

            ‘Well I’m sure going again won’t hurt, chop chop.’

            Simpson got up from her chair and sighed dramatically, but winked at Coleman when she passed. Rodney and Radek went back to writing equations on the whiteboard and Coleman heard them heatedly bickering on whether the last number should be a three or a four.

            ‘Some things never change,’ she whispered to herself, then smiled and got back to doing her own work.


	2. Branton Eavesdrops

Doctor Branton stood alongside Rodney and Radek who were animatedly discussing, practically in unison, how databursts from Atlantis to earth actually worked to Colonol Sheppard and Major Lorne. Even though it was Branton’s speciality, he was unable to get a word in. Sheppard proceeded to take an apple from his pocket and bite into it incredibly slowly, the noise was distracting.

            ‘Are you getting any of this?’ Rodney said angrily after he had stopped mid-sentence.

            John nodded, ‘Of course.’

            Evan looked quite perturbed, ‘You can’t honestly say you caught any of that nerd babble.’

            Rodney and Radek pulled an affronted face at the same time, Branton chuckled slightly.

            ‘Sure I did,’ John replied, swallowing chunks of apple ‘You’re combining a high data signalling rate with a short transmission time. Basically, you’re compressing all the information in order to send it through the gate within the time we have it open.’

            ‘Oh, uh, yeah. That’s – that’s right,’ Rodney was slightly taken aback.

            John threw the apple core into a waste bin in the corner of the room, he then smiled sarcastically, ‘Don’t seem so shocked.’

            Evan looked at his watch and raised his eyebrows, ‘Jesus, I didn’t realise we’d been here this long. Lovely chatting with you gentlemen but I’m going to be late.’

            ‘Late for what?’ Rodney’s curiosity getting the better of him.

            ‘I do have a life you know Doctor McKay,’ Evan started flattening down the front of his uniform in an almost self-conscious way.

            John raised an eyebrow, as if goading him on to say more. Evan sighed.

            ‘If you must know, I was going to show Chuck a painting I’d finished, he had expressed an interest in it when I had started it.’

            ‘Chuck, as in Technician Chuck?’ Rodney replied, almost in disbelief.

            ‘I’m gonna go now. I’ll catch you nerds later.’

            They watched Evan leave the room. Branton, no longer needed for the databurst explanation, broke off from the group and sat back at his desk behind his laptop. As soon as the sounds of Evan’s footfalls faded away Rodney, Radek and John instantly looked at each other.

            ’10 bucks says they’re dating,’ John announced.

            ‘Normally I would say “you’re on”, but I think the same so,’ Radek shrugged.

            Branton looked over the top of his laptop. He was unashamed to admit that he absolutely loved a bit of workplace gossip. Besides, it was way more interesting than the work he was doing. Leaning over slightly towards the group having the conversation, Branton listened in.

            ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on. Let’s rewind here. What? I’ve barely even seen them in the same room as each other and they don’t seem like the type of people to have much in common,’ Rodney looked slightly bewildered.

            ‘You cannot mean you have not noticed the looks they give each other when we have meetings,’ Radek replied.

            Rodney looked confused.

            ‘Lustful,’ John added, nodding.

            ‘No, I clearly haven’t noticed,’ Rodney said, looking from John to Radek and back again.

            ‘Figures,’ John laughed, ‘It took you almost a year to realise that Radek was pining after you. And even then someone had to practically tell you. He looked at you like he was a hungry dog and you were a bone.’

            Radek went pink, spluttered out some words in Czech and pushed his glassed up the bridge of his nose, ‘I was not pining!’

            ‘Whatever you say Doctor Z,’ then to Rodney, ‘All I’m saying is, you are pretty oblivious to the obvious. The entire base was putting bets on when you’d actually notice Radek’s hungry looks.’

            Radek spluttered again.

            ‘Okay alright, I admit I’m not very good at reading people,’ Rodney put his hands up in the air, ‘But Chuck and Evan? Seriously?’

            Branton suddenly realised how he obvious he looked, he was actually looking over and hadn’t typed a word in minutes. He proceeded to sit up straight and get on with his work, still keeping an ear on the chatter.

            ‘Well they have started sitting with each other in the mess hall more frequently,’ John continued.

            ‘Yes well, I sit with you, Teyla and Ronon practically every day. Doesn’t mean we’re dating.’

            ‘You’re dating Radek and he sits with us too.’

            ‘Okay that was a bad example.’

            Radek shook his head, ‘I am going back to work. I will be in the jumper bay if you need me.’

            Branton glanced up to see Doctor Zelenka collect a clipboard and leave the room. John and Rodney turned back towards each other.

            ‘What do you say huh? Ten bucks, says they’re dating. Actually no, twenty bucks. I bet twenty bucks that they’re dating.’

            ‘Alright, twenty dollars.’

            Branton looked up again to see John smile wickedly, ‘Be prepared to be in my debt.’

            ‘Don’t be so sure about that,’ Rodney replied.

            ‘I’m tellin’ you, they’re dating. You don’t just invite someone to look at a painting unless you’re pretty close.’

            ‘Whatever you say.’

            Rodney turned to pick up his padd and Branton quickly looked back down on his laptop and acted as if he were deep in thought.

            ‘Anyway, I’ve gotta go down to the jumper bay to help Radek with repairs.’

            ‘Is that what you’re calling it.’

            ‘Shut up!’ Rodney replied, elbowing John in the ribs, ‘No doubt you’ve got something big and important you need to do.’

            ‘Oh yeah, I’ve got “heroically save the city” down in my diary for the next six months.’

            Rodney sighed dramatically and the two of them left the science lab. Branton looked despondently at the work he was doing on his laptop. With nothing else to distract him, it seemed as if he had nothing left to do but slog away at it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing these as ideas come to me, so no guarantees as to when the next chapter will be posted, but there will definitely be more chapters focusing on a range of characters/pairings :)


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